


Of the Sixteenth of December and a Present Protection Plan

by Thegreenofyoureyes



Series: Christmas Fics 2015 [16]
Category: 5 Seconds of Summer (Band)
Genre: Christmas Fluff, Fluff, Humor, M/M, Prompt Fill
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-16
Updated: 2015-12-16
Packaged: 2018-05-07 05:33:42
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,385
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5445107
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Thegreenofyoureyes/pseuds/Thegreenofyoureyes
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Luke and Ashton has spent all morning getting their Christmas tree properly up. Sure it had been in the house since Calum and Michael had went and bought it a week prior, but no one had bothered to trim it. On the top sat a strange paper sculpture that Ashton had made out of wrapping paper when he had found they had no star, but the rest was quite normal and even, dare he say it, nice. </p><p>All good things must come to an end, though, and it just so happens the Christmas spirit and pride surrounding them was destined to dissipate when Michael walked through the door after work. He wasn't a grinch. No, not by a long shot. He just… Had a problem when it came to presents.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Of the Sixteenth of December and a Present Protection Plan

**Author's Note:**

> Day 16! @Tanniri on Tumblr is lovely! And, hey, if you want, I'd love to get some feedback on both the individual pieces and the idea as a whole. Thank you!

Luke and Ashton has spent all morning getting their Christmas tree properly up. Sure it had been in the house since Calum and Michael had went and bought it a week prior, but no one had bothered to trim it. On the top sat a strange paper sculpture that Ashton had made out of wrapping paper when he had found they had no star, but the rest was quite normal and even, dare he say it, nice. 

All good things must come to an end, though, and it just so happens the Christmas spirit and pride surrounding them was destined to dissipate when Michael walked through the door after work. He wasn't a grinch. No, not by a long shot. He just… Had a problem when it came to presents. 

It took them all a few years to realize that he wasn't actually an amazing detective and was, in fact, sneaking down in the middle of the night to look at his gifts. Hiding them was useless as well. It was an impulse control thing, really. Which is why they usually attempted to suppress that impulse for as long as possible by not decorating the tree. 

The second the tree looks all prim and proper, it's time, in Michael’s mind, for presents to go underneath it. The glint in his eye was unmistakable, but also, unfortunately, not enough for a conviction. 

See, the Luke, Ashton, and Calum had never actually caught Michael looking in the presents per say. There was plenty of evidence, sure, but none of it stemmed beyond circumstantial. A shaky case at best. They knew, though, what he was doing. What he did every year. 

It was through quick glances, behind Michael’s back after he kissed Calum ‘hello’, and a group text that Luke started, that they planned their attack. Figuring that maybe if they caught him, he'd stop once and for all, or at least for the year. 

Luke and Ashton were to go up to bed at their normal, slightly earlier time, and wait, pretending to be asleep. Next, Calum would drag Michael to bed, and pretend to be asleep himself, when appropriate. Luke and Ashton would listen for Calum to say the code word “goodnight, kitten” before waiting 15 more minutes, for confirmation, before going downstairs and hiding enough out of sight that Michael wouldn't see them when he eventually came down. Calum said they could hide next to each other, albeit a bit reluctantly. 

Perhaps that's how they found themselves huddled behind a couch in total darkness at 3am. It was technically Wednesday now, but neither of them worked Wednesday's so it didn't matter much. Ashton was, truthfully, beginning to fall asleep a bit. He was an old man at heart, and late nights that weren't actively filled with doing things, whatever those things may be, were a bit hard. Luke was whispering to him, though, and showing him weird pictures of birds (on the lowest brightness level so Michael couldn't see. Not that they wouldn't hear him coming long before he even had the chance) so it was alright. 

Ashton had almost given up, honestly. He was tired, and they may have been under a blanket, but it was cold. If it was up to him, they would've just put the presents under their own bed for safekeeping and let Michael suffer with the loss of Christmas magic himself. 

It wasn't up to him, though. Ashton had never seen his boyfriend so fired up. Luke was, as it turned out, not only passionate about preserving the Christmas magic, but also taking out some long-suppressed anger about how his brothers treated him on Christmas. They had, apparently, been peekers as well, where Luke was a chronically good kid. He had learned early in life just how to catch someone bent on destroying Christmas for themselves, and making it magical whether they liked it or not. It was honestly quite adorable. 

Luke’s head was piquing at every little creak, even though Calum had promised to text them once Michael left the room (they had their phones on silent. Of course, Calum. They're not stupid) and either headed to the bathroom or to an embarrassing confrontation. He would throw his phone down and push both his head and Ashton’s to the floor (albeit gently). He took it to the next level. 

It was 3:13 when Ashton’s phone lit up with the “he's on his way” Calum must have pre-typed. He tapped Luke's shoulder, showing him the text. Luke’s blue eyes absolutely gleamed with excitement as he grabbed the phone from Ashton’s hand and turned it off. Somehow, he simultaneously hid better and poised himself to pounce at any moment. 

Sure enough, Michael wasn't going to the bathroom, as there was one straight across from his and Calum’s room upstairs. Ashton hadn't ruled out the possibility of him simply getting a glass of water, but if the change in Luke’s breath was indicative of anything, Luke sure had. 

Their stairs were just a bit creaky, as all cold, old stairs are, and it was clear Michael was being careful. He made sounds, sure, but it wasn't enough to wake the three people he thought to be sleeping. As he made it down the staircase, even Ashton had to admit that his heart was beating a little bit faster. He wondered halfheartedly if this is what it felt like to be a superhero. 

Michael wasn't going to the kitchen. Not even close. No, he sat down carefully in front of the tree and searched, in only the light from the streetlamp outside, for a present for him. Calum was now waiting quietly at the top of the stairs, ready to turn the light on whenever Luke decided was fit. 

Turns out, Luke was prepared to wait until Michael had meticulously started unwrapping the little red present, careful not to rip anything. What he yelled wasn't grand, and truthfully wasn't what he had rehearsed at all. 

“I knew it! You fucker!” It was louder than Ashton thought entirely necessary. 

To say Michael was shocked was an understatement. He dropped the present (which Ashton was at least 86% sure was non-breakable) and screamed as well, jumping a good two feet in the air. Just then, the lights came on, and Calum rushed downstairs. 

“What the fuck?” Was all Michael could say, as he watched his best friends untangle from behind the couch. 

“You promised me you didn't do this anymore!” Calum said. 

“I didn't expect this at all,” Michael replied. He didn't look angry. And honestly, how could he be. There was even, Ashton thought, a slight glint of amusement in his eyes. 

“Yeah no shit! But we caught you! Now you can't ruin Christmas for yourself!” Luke said, sitting down on the couch across from Michael.

“Wait, what? Is that why you guys don't like me looking at them?”

They all nodded. And, if Ashton was thinking how he only gave a shit because Luke cared so much, the younger boy didn't have to know. 

“We just kinda figure it's more fun to open your presents without having to pretend you haven't seen them before. Besides, I think we’d actually kinda like to open them *with* you, you know?” Ashton said. 

“Honestly, it's gonna sound stupid, but I'd never thought of it like that. I dunno why. I mean, of course, it makes sense,” Michael replied, looking slightly guilty.

“I mean, it's not a life or death thing, obviously.”

“No, I get that. And I appreciate the sentiment, believe it or not. I won't look anymore, promise. Although, I will say, you could've just talked to me about it. I wouldn't have, like, denied it, or anything.”

“See, but where's the fun in that?” Luke asked, standing up, and pulling Ashton with him “now, I say we all go the fuck to sleep in our actual beds. Floor isn't as comfortable as it looks.”

And, well, it was pretty clear that all parties could agree with that. 

It was 3:30 when Ashton and Luke were cuddled closely within their bed, and they didn't have to move for hours yet. Christmas was saved, in Luke’s eyes, and, as Luke was happy, so was Ashton. It was going to be a good Wednesday.


End file.
